150 years later

INDIGENOUS FOREST GARDENS planted more than a century and a half ago on the Pacific coast are still boosting plant diversity. At archeological villages along B.C.’s northwest coast, in collaboration with Tsm'syen and Coast Salish First Nations, Simon Fraser University historical ecologists found native fruit and nut trees such as crabapple, hazelnut, wild plum and wild cherry; medicinal plants like wild ginger; and food crops like wild rice. “The forest gardens of Kitselas Canyon are a testament to the long-standing practice of Kitselas people shaping the landscape through stewardship and management,” says Chris Apps, director of the Kitselas lands and resources department.